|
 British Columbia's Central Coast offers travellers spectacular opportunities to see truly unspoiled wilderness areas. This is the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest.
 Ferries and cruise ships have long travelled up and down the corridors of the Inside Passage tantalizing passengers with vistas of magnificent fjords, inlets, lagoons and pristine islands with white sand beaches. Bays, coves and islets seen from a distance await exploration. Sections of this diverse and beautiful landscape have been set aside as parkland. Other areas containing irreplaceable natural and cultural wonders await their fate.
This area contains wildlife and plants which are unique and rare. The white Kermode (aka Spirit Bear) lives here amongst black "Grey Wolves". We have seen breeding pairs of Sandhill Cranes. Beautiful Mountain Goats, Puffins and Osprey can be seen on the craggy cliffs. Bald Eagles and the stately and mysterious Ravens sit in trees overseeing their territory. Wolves call to one another. Bears and Blacktail Deer forage in the forest and at the water's edge. Beavers and trout inhabit the rivers and lakes. River Otters and Stellar Sea Lions fish and cavort near kelp and rocky islets.
 Murres, Loons, murrelts, Rhinoceros Auklets, Great Blue Herons, Kingfishers and Grebes are but a few of the many bird varieties that can be seen in a single day. Salmon, Halibut, crab, shrimp and Rock fish in many colours inhabit the coastal waters. Clams, oysters, limpets, abalone, moon snails, whelks and turban snails litter the sandy and rocky shores.
Plant life is abundant in this verdant landscape. Ancient trees provide shelter for masses of lichen and mosses which add both fantastic colour and texture to the landscape. Beneath the trees, in meadows, along shorelines and anywhere even a tiny bit of soil may be found, flowers, grasses and bushes grow in abundance. Blueberries, Thimble berries, Salmon berries, Wild Currants, Cranberries and other fruit bearing plants are relished by wildlife and visitors alike. Wild orchids, onions and iris surprise the watchful adventurer.
 The geological formations attest to the great upheavels and land movements of the past as well as to the power of glacial scouring. Stratified outcroppings of rocks jut upward amongst the myriad of islets and rocks in the outer coast waters. In the fjords, mountains thousands of feet high arise vertically from narrow inlets with waters a thousand feet deep. Here the walls of stone often bear the marks of creeping glaciers which have smoothed the surface of the hard rock. Rocks also bear the marks of First Nations people and of early explorers in the region in the form of petroglyphs and pictographs.
The Central Coast has a rich cultural heritage. Great tribal nations flourished here long before European explorers began charting and naming the land, waters and the original inhabitants. Fortunately, some of the ancient names are being restored and are making their way into our maps, books and information materials.  Several museums and heritage sites offer insights into the daily lives, arts, technologies and spirituality of these peoples. Official permission is required to have the privilege to visit some locations.
The weather here can be fearsome in the Winter and quite temperate in the Summer, Spring and early Fall. The high rainfall assures good conditions for the plentiful plant and animal life found along this coast. In the Summer, the protected waters in this area provide visitors the ability to explore this magnificent landscape which is both exquisite and fragile. Great care must be taken to protect it for future generations of animals, plants and people.
The majority of this remote region is accessible only by boat, float plane or helicopter.
Images:
- West Beach - Calvert Island
- Pacific Whiteside Dolphin
- October - Green Point Rapids
- pictographs- central coast
- Umista Cultural Centre - Alert Bay
|
